Navy chief defends handling of sex abuse claims
THE head of the Royal Navy has defended the way in which the service handles allegations of rape and sexual abuse, arguing that independent investigations would take longer and “lead to less good outcomes”.
Admiral Sir Ben Key, the First Sea Lord, last month ordered an inquiry into what he said were “abhorrent” claims of inappropriate behaviour in the submarine service. He told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme: “It is absolutely true that, for a long time, our investigation processes were too closely aligned with the chain of command, which could then on occasion be seen as presenting a conflict.
“We have changed it now so that anyone who wishes to raise a formal complaint, the admissibility and the handling of that complaint is immediately taken away from the unit they’re serving in and assessed at the headquarters, and will then be independently investigated.”
He said those investigating such a complaint have to understand the particulars of life at sea, including the pressures experienced by servicemen and women, so that lessons can be learned.
He said: “I know that there are a number of people claiming at the moment that when they talk about independent investigation, that should be completely outside of the Navy. But one of my challenges, or concerns, about that is that, actually, that’s just going to add time – and one of the things we really need to do is to investigate these things much more quickly.”